33 - Reasons For Electoral Failures Of The Conservative Party, 1997-2007 Flashcards
Who won 3 successive electoral victories?
Blair
How much of the electorate voted in 2001? How much in 2005?
59%
61.4%
What did many commentators put the lower voting turnouts down to? Why?
Voter apathy
Blair was thought to be able to easily win
What did other commentators believe people were becoming disillusioned with? What system did they believe lacked support?
Politics
Political system
How did the Conservatives look? Who was well-respected despite this?
Tired and lackluster
Party leaders
What did the Tories not offer a viable alternative to?
Labour
What fundamental problem continued to bitterly divide the Tories?
Europe
When was William Hague leader of the Conservatives? Who resigned in 1997?
1997-2001
Major
Who was the obvious leader to take over from Major? What was an issue with him that cost him widespread support?
Clarke
Too pro-Europe
What faction of the Tory Party was Hague associated with? What stance did he concentrate too much on in the 2001 election?
Right
Anti-European stance
Why was the Tory Party under Hague considered too narrow to be an alternative to Blair?
Hague’s anti-European stance
When was Iain Duncan Smith leader of the Tories? How was he seen?
2001-03
Uncharismatic
Which leader performed poorly in Parliament against Blair? Who replaced him in 2003?
IDS
Howard
When was Michael Howard leader of the Tory Party? What role did he hold in Major’s government?
2003-05
Home Secretary
What quality did Howard command? How did he perform in Parliament?
Widespread respect
Well
What did the Tories lack against Blair in the 2005 election? Who replaced Howard in 2005?
An alternative agenda
David Cameron
What was a consequence of the Tories trying to criticise Labour’s record of public spending? Why was this a particular problem for the Tories?
They were expected to do better
They were the party of reduced spending
Why would reduced spending be an issue for the Tories? What 2 public sector areas seemed under constant pressure?
Voters were concerned about reductions
Schools and NHS
What were 2 strong areas the Tories campaigned on? Why was this specifically an issue under Howard?
Law and immigration
He had a poor record as Home Secretary
Who was put under a difficult position during New Labour? What did they lack in order to attack Blair’s government?
Tories
Viable stances
What time period did the Tories fail to recover from with problems and divisions? What did they never look an alternative to?
1990s
New Labour
What Labour victories did the Tories not fear? What hostility was feared about the electorate?
Election victories
Hostility towards the political system
What divisions replaced the post-war consensus, particularly under Thatcher? What was this consensus replaced by in the 21st century?
Wider political divisions
A new consensus
What did IDS tell his Party in November 2002 at a press conference?
“My message is simple and stark, unite or die.”
